DOC Research Institute marks the 28th Anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall

Berlin, November 09, 2017: Francis Gary Powers Jr. was hosted by the Dialogue of Civilizations Research Institute for a celebration of the 28th Anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall.

Powers Jr., Founder and Chairman Emeritus of The Cold War Museum in Washington DC, and Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee for the Cold War Theme Study, is the son of the legendary U-2 spy plane pilot Francis Gary Powers.

The Dialogue of Civilizations Research Institute is located at Französische Straße, only a few metres from Checkpoint Charlie. The Senior Counsel of the Russian Embassy, Oleg Ksenofortov, gave an opening remark.

During the event, Powers Jr. screened the Stephen Spielberg movie, Bridge of Spies, a film for which he was an advisor for the famous Spy Exchange on Glienicker Brücke (nicknamed ‘Spy Bridge’), which connects West Berlin with East Germany. This was where the exchange of a Soviet spy and Powers Sr. took place, and was the apex of the Spielberg film.

Powers Jr. introduced his book, Letters from a Soviet Prison, a selection of correspondence his father wrote and received during his imprisonment in Soviet Union.

During his visit, Powers Jr. emphasised that “on such dates as the 28th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, it is important to remember the past” so that “these facts do not happen again.”

Because of his efforts to establish The Cold War Museum, the Junior Chamber of Commerce selected him as one of the ‘Ten Outstanding Young Americans’ for 2002. Gary lectures internationally and appears regularly on the History, Discovery, and A&E Channels.